Madness {Ouat}

Perspective

   Authors notes:
---- : Shows a change in setting.
~~~~ and italicized text: Shows a change in time.
[This chapter is currently being rewritten]
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Cheshire felt as though her lungs had contracted and her heart quickened in pace. She saw him for only a few moments before an innate response caused her to disappear in a sudden shock of purple smoke. 

Cheshire found herself in an alleyway, a block or so from her previous location. Her breathing was hard as she stood with her back up against the brick building behind her. Cheshire looked down at her shaking hands. Teleportation was something she mastered in Wonderland, but she had never done so in her current form, so it left a strange feeling in her stomach.

She turned her head down into the alleyway, a reflection of light catching her eyes. Cheshire brushed herself off and began to walk towards white light. She came upon a tall, old mirror that had been thrown over and shattered, few few large chunks still in the frame while the rest lay strewn on the ground beneath it. Cheshire looked from left to right then carefully grabbed ahold of the frame from each side and hoisted it up into its feet. Despite missing some pieces there was enough glass within the mirror to see a majority of her body from top to bottom.

An expression mixed of wonder and sadness found its way onto her face. She had not seen her true self in years and the realization held an unforeseen hurt. Cheshire's hair looked as knotted and matte as it felt and her shredded dress she could see without the looking glass. But her face and eyes are what caught her off guard. Cheshire began the math in her head, her eyes narrowed, trying to remember long forgotten things.

"Fifteen." She muttered to herself, giving off a tone of near disbelief as she spoke.

Time. Time was something Cheshire let go of a long while ago. In Wonderland a a year could be a day and a second could be decades. There was no constant, so keeping track proved itself difficult. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, needing a moment to regain herself.

Cheshire then looked down at her apparel, it was noticeable, and that was the last thing she wanted to be. She knew she would have to change if she were to stay off of anybody's radar. Cheshire began to cautiously leave the alley, then set off trying to find something a little more discreet.

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"Sheriff's Office," Emma stated as she answered the phone. "Granny? No I haven't seen-," her eyebrows furrowed as she held the phone to her ear. "Calm down, I'll be right there."

Emma quickly hung up the phone and headed for the door, grabbing her jacket off of the rack as she left.  She was unsure of any true threat, but she would rather check it out than deal with an upset Granny.

Emma got out of her car and walked into the dinner, all seemed as normal on the inside as it did on the outside. The place was mostly empty when she stepped in, only Granny stood in the front with little visible movement in the back. She made eye contact with Granny and casually went over.

"Okay can you tell me what happened, from the top?" Emma asked, glancing around the building.

"I was working over the counter when this girl walked in, early teens, long brown hair, green eyes. She was wearing an old fashioned dress - I'd say eighteen  hundreds - but knowing this town I wasn't gonna' bring it up. As first it was all normal 'till she just froze up and proofed off. No warning or nothing." Granny finished and began washing the counter tops off with a rag, still looking up at Emma occasionally.

"Do you know why she might have left? Did something happen?" Emma asked, now becoming more intrigued as she heard more.

Granny looked as though she was thinking deeply as she scrubbed the counters, until finally she spoke once more. "A man walked in, I believe she was looking in his direction."

Emma walked closer to the bar, and sat down in a stool across from Granny. "Do you know who it was?" Emma asked.

"Don't really know who it was, I've only seen a handful of times in all my years working here. Kinda tall man with brown hair, can't quite remember what he was wearing. "

"Do you know where he went?" Emma continue with her questions, coming to a conclusion that if she found whoever this girl saw, she would be able to find them.

"He left not long after. I don't think he saw the girl since she disappeared so quickly. But I suppose that's what she was trying to do." Granny explained, adding on the last part to lighten the mood.

"Okay, Granny, thank you for calling me." Emma said to her, getting up and walking for the door.

"I hope you find out what's going on. Because from personal experience, when someone new comes in and starts using magic, it doesn't usually end well." Granny called to Emma as a farewell warning, waving goodbye as she did so.